Mathews supervisors met Monday evening to discuss their goals for the FY 2023-2024 county budget. Supervisor Melissa Mason was absent.

County Administrator Ramona Wilson started off the discussion with a brief presentation outlining what the supervisors might expect from the budget for the schools. She said the school board is proposing an $18.7 million budget, or a $1.08 million increase in county funding over this year. In addition, she said, the state is considering giving teachers a 7 percent raise rather than the previously proposed 5 percent, and an 8 percent increase is expected in the cost of insurance. She suggested that the board provide level or reduced funding for the schools.

For the rest of the county, she said, she included the amount requested by each department in the initial draft budget and was waiting for guidance from the board to begin making changes. She suggested that a request by Commissioner of the Revenue Les Hall to give his employees an 8 percent pay...